Residents of the Wellington urban area are invited to have their say on the future of water services, with public consultation opening tomorrow, 20 March.

Under the Government’s Local Water Done Well reform, five councils – Hutt City, Upper Hutt City, Porirua City, Wellington City, and Greater Wellington – are working together, in partnership with Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika, to propose solutions for the management of Wellington’s water assets and services. Greater Wellington is presenting two options for feedback:

• A new, multi-council-owned organisation that would take ownership of public drinking water and wastewater networks.
• A modified version of the current model, where Wellington Water Limited would continue maintaining infrastructure and managing water services on behalf of councils.

Greater Wellington Chair Daran Ponter describes the proposal as “the most important decision we’ll make for decades.”

“While Greater Wellington has consistently invested in our bulk water infrastructure over the years, the existing arrangement is cumbersome and not set up for enduring success,” says Cr Ponter.

“As a council, we have a clear preference: a new multi-council-owned organisation to take ownership of water assets and services. This model will allow for better planning, investment, and environmental protection – while keeping costs to households lower.”

"We have an opportunity to increase the resilience of our water network; now is the time to shape the future of our water services.”

The Government’s Local Water Done Well reform sets new regulatory standards that all councils must meet, along with mandatory planning and accountability requirements for future water organisations.

Greater Wellington group manager for corporate services, Julie Knauf, emphasises the benefits of a regional approach to water services.

“Across the wider Wellington urban areas our water supply and treatment network is an interconnected system, not confined within any one city boundary. A multi-council-owned organisation will ensure long-term investment, better service delivery, and the ability to access funding with greater borrowing power.”

As the only regional council in Aotearoa that owns bulk-water assets, Greater Wellington plays a key role in the management of water. It owns and operates treatment plants, pipelines, and pumping stations that deliver water to city reservoirs across Wellington, Upper Hutt, Lower Hutt, and Porirua. The regional council is also responsible for issuing and monitoring resource consents under the Resource Management Act 1991.

Cr Ponter reassures residents that water infrastructure will remain in public hands: “This is about improving how we manage our publicly owned water services. Now is the time to have your say on the future of water in our region.”

Public consultation runs from 20 March to 22 April 2025.

For more information, visit www.gw.govt.nz/environment/freshwater/local-water-done-well/

Note:

The new water organisation would own most water assets, including urban stormwater pipes and pumps. City councils would retain accountability for overland stormwater flow paths, that is, any flow path taken by stormwater on the surface of public land e.g. on roads and through parks. Private landowners would also retain similar accountability for stormwater paths on their land.

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